While tariffs on aluminum and steel from Canada and Mexico will be lifted, state Agriculture Sec.-designee Brad Pfaff says farmers are being hurt in the broader trade war.

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Updated: 9:30 AM CDT May 19, 2019

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Announcer: "Upfront", brought to you by the American transmission company. >> the USMCA is a win for Wisconsin dairy and for Americ dairy. We need it to pass. Adrienne: Vice President Mike Pence visited Eau Claire a Fort McCoy last week. He toured an industrial supp business TO TOUT THE NEW U.S. MEXICO CANADA AGREEMENT, T NAFTA REPLACEMENT THE WHITE HOUSE IS TRYING TO GET THROU CONGRESS. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SAID FRIDAY IT WILL END IMPORT TAXES ON STEEL AND ALUMINUM FR CANADA AND MEXICO, A MOVE THAT WILL HELP FARMERS AND MANUFACTURERS WHEN THOSE NATIONS LIFT RECIPROCAL TARIFFS. >> now that we have had a full lift on these tariffs, we are going to work with the United States on timing for ratification. Adrienne: FARMERS AREN’T WINNING IN PRESIDENT TRUMP’S TRADE WA with China. BOTH NATIONS IMPOSED NEW TARIFFS AFTER TRADE TALKS COLLAPSED. THE U.S. AGRICULTURE SECRETARY PREDICTS THE TRADE BATTLES WITH CHINA WON’T CAUSE LONG-TERM DAMAGE TO U.S. FARMERS. THE ADMINISTRATION IS ALSO PUTTING TOGETHER A NEW, $15 BILLION RELIEF PACKAGE FOR FARMERS AND RANCHERS. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE TRADE WAR AND THE EFFECT ON WISCONSIN FARMERS WITH BRAD PFAFF, Secretary designee of the WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, TRADE, AND CONSUMER PROTECTION. Thank you for being here. Sec. Pfaff: it is a pleasure being here. Thank you. Adrienne: who are these tariffs hurting? Sec. Pfaff: farmers, communities, residence, and consumers. All of us are impacted. We want to be able to buy and sell our goods from people throughout the world. We in Wisconsin have -- we export and sell an awful lot of our agriculture products around the worl To over 140 different countries, we sell our products. We want to continue to do that. Adrienne: I’ve been in touch with a dairy farmer who tells me this has not wrecked his business but they are making a bad situation wors How much longer do you think that farmers can hang on? Sec. Pfaff: each farmer is an independent businessman and woman. It will be based on their own individual circumstance. Tariffs, in my opinion, are never good for an economy. May it be short-term or long-term, it has a ripple effect. When the farmer doesn’t have the money to spend, that money is not being circulated in the in the rural economy, urban economy, and all of us are impacted. Adrienne: you grew up on a farm. Sec. Pfaff: I did. Adrienne: you have a passion for farmer What is the strategy to keep them afloat? What’s the state doing? Sec. Pfaff: they’re short and long-term. In the short-term, we need to make sure we can continue to sell our products. That is extremely important. We also need to make sure we have credit available for our farmers. This is spring, a time of year in which our farmers are putting crops in the field. Long-term, research and development. We need to continue to invest in new product development a comes from our field and dairy farms. We have a tremendous agriculture genetics industry, along with other industries. Adrienne: I want to talk to you about what the President is saying. He says the government will buy up U.S. ad products and there will be more tariff aid. Is that what you think farmers need? Will that help? Sec. Pfaff: farmers don’t want the aide. They want trade. We appreciate the fact that financial aid will be assisted, but we want to be able to sell our products. I would encourage us to continue to move forward, to try to find new markets for the products that are available. If we do not sell these products, these products stay on the market. They continue to depress prices long-term. We need to be able to find markets for those products. Adrienne: there are probably people sitting at home saying they are happy the president is being tough on China, not letting America get taken advantage of. What is your response to that? Sec. Pfaff: I agree. I think it is extremel important that we hold our trading partners accountable, that we have fair trade, that we have our trading partners recognize the fact that this is a two way street. In order to be able to continue to participate in an international marketplace, that we do need to be able to have rules of law That has to be implemented and has to be carried out. In order to do that, we need to be able to be at the negotiating table and negotiate and have conversations. And, we need to be able to make sure we move the ball down the fiel Tariffs, in the short-term and long-term, do not provide a positive economic impact to family farmers or to our overall economy. Adrienne: thank you. Sec. Pfaff: thank you for the opportunity to be here. Adrienne: coming up, Wisconsin cities are fighting climate